Copyright

What is it?

A way to protect original, creative work

What kinds of things can be copyright protected?

  • Music

  • Writing

  • Artwork

  • Speeches

  • Websites

  • Movies

  • TV shows

  • Music videos

  • Photographs

Why do we have copyright?

To protect the creativity of the people making things by giving them:
  • Credit for their work
  • Money for their work

Plagiarism

What is plagiarism?

  • Copying directly from someone else’s work

  • Not giving credit to the person who created the work

Why is it wrong?

  • You are taking credit for someone else’s ideas and creativity

  • You might be taking part of their profits

  • You are stealing their ideas

So what?

There are many punishments for people who steal other’s work
  • Failing an assignment or a class

  • Suspension or expulsion

  • Fines

How do you avoid plagiarism?

  • Of course, DON’T COPY DIRECTLY FROM A SOURCE
  • Give credit ANY time you get information from a source that you will
  • be using, even if it is in your own words – “cite” the source


Book

Author’s name. Title. Publication place: Publisher, date of publication.
Example: Langan, Paul. The Bully. New Jersey: Townsend Press, 2002.

Encyclopedia Articles

Author’s name (if given). “Title of article.” Title of Encyclopedia. Date of publication, ed.
Example: Simon, Seymour. “Plants.” World Book Encyclopedia. 1994, ed.

Websites

Author’s name (if any is given). “Title of article or document.” Information supplier (if given).
Date you visited the webpage. <URL>
Example: Audubon, John. “Endangered U.S. Listed Birds.” National Wildlife Federation. 14 March 1998.
www.nwf.org/nwf/endangered/listing/birds1.html


Adapted from Ashby, Jennifer "Whale Watching in Lake Michigian", 4 August 2010
http://www.vema.gen.va.us/conference/07handouts/Handouts2007/Ashby%20Whale.pdf